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Topic: A big project (Read 1732 times) |
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Eltripas
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A big project
« on: Mar 12th, 2010, 11:35pm » |
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Hello bot developers, I'm planning to do an arimaa bot but I have a big problem, I just know very basic C++ programming, so I'm asking for good understandable sources of information for making a bot and on programming in general, if you think is better I learn a new language please tell me that also, Janzert already told me to read a wiki about chess bots, but I fell that I need also more information for programming in general, thank you in advance.
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Janzert
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Re: A big project
« Reply #1 on: Mar 13th, 2010, 8:16pm » |
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Just so others can find it in the future, the wiki Eltripas refers to above is the Chess Programming Wiki. It has a lot of fairly in depth information about most of the aspects of traditional alpha-beta searchers.
Some other good material that has more of an introductory feel to it are Bruce Moreland's essays on chess programming. Unfortunately the original site is gone but it can be found on web.archive.org.
Hopefully someone else can chime in with general programming sites, I don't really know of any good spots for that. Although Stack Overflow is a great spot for any specific questions.
Janzert
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| « Last Edit: Mar 13th, 2010, 8:17pm by Janzert » |
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Eltripas
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Re: A big project
« Reply #2 on: Mar 13th, 2010, 8:55pm » |
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on Mar 13th, 2010, 8:16pm, Janzert wrote:Just so others can find it in the future, the wiki Eltripas refers to above is the Chess Programming Wiki. It has a lot of fairly in depth information about most of the aspects of traditional alpha-beta searchers.
Some other good material that has more of an introductory feel to it are Bruce Moreland's essays on chess programming. Unfortunately the original site is gone but it can be found on web.archive.org.
Hopefully someone else can chime in with general programming sites, I don't really know of any good spots for that. Although Stack Overflow is a great spot for any specific questions.
Janzert |
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Thank you Janzert, you are the bomb! I mean the opfor developer! (I know, bad joke).
also I would like to know where did you learned to program?
I'm seriously thinking of study a master degree in computer science if I can't find a good job quick when I end my engineering studies, so all this preparation is far for being time lost.
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Janzert
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Re: A big project
« Reply #3 on: Mar 15th, 2010, 12:14pm » |
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When I was 5 my dad gave me the BASIC programming manual for, along with access to, a TI-99/4a and told me that once I made it through the book I would get a cassette recorder I could use to save my programs on. I think it was on my 6th birthday that I was given the recorder, this was the greatest thing ever since it meant I no longer had to type my programs in from scratch every time. 
Anyway this is at least one reason I'm pretty bad at helping others learn how to program. Since just like learning to read, I don't really remember the process of learning to program.
Janzert
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| « Last Edit: Mar 15th, 2010, 12:15pm by Janzert » |
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Eltripas
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Re: A big project
« Reply #4 on: Mar 15th, 2010, 12:41pm » |
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on Mar 15th, 2010, 12:14pm, Janzert wrote:When I was 5 my dad gave me the BASIC programming manual for, along with access to, a TI-99/4a and told me that once I made it through the book I would get a cassette recorder I could use to save my programs on. I think it was on my 6th birthday that I was given the recorder, this was the greatest thing ever since it meant I no longer had to type my programs in from scratch every time.
Anyway this is at least one reason I'm pretty bad at helping others learn how to program. Since just like learning to read, I don't really remember the process of learning to program.
Janzert |
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Wow, quite strange to give a 5 year old kid a BASIC book, but I was not a bad idea since it made you a good programmer, well I got a C++ book, I barely used in my college course because of the low level I needed then, I'm going to read it.
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rbarreira
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Re: A big project
« Reply #5 on: Mar 17th, 2010, 4:30am » |
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If you are a beginner programmer you shouldn't be thinking about writing a bot yet. That will only cause your brain to melt, you have to start with simpler things.
First you need to solidify the basics of your choice language (your C++ book should take care of this).
Then you need to learn a bit about algorithms and data structures, this is essential for any reasonably complex programming project. There are many books on this, usually containing "algorithms and data structures" in the title.
When you have learned about different kinds of data structures, and programmed some algorithms using them, you can learn the minimax algorithm, alpha-beta or whatever other paradigms you want to make a bot with, and you'll be good to go. At that point you'll have a lot of fun reading about how game bots work (especially chess ones, since there's lots of information about programming those, much of which is applicable to making an Arimaa bot).
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| « Last Edit: Mar 17th, 2010, 4:32am by rbarreira » |
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Eltripas
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Re: A big project
« Reply #6 on: Mar 17th, 2010, 4:08pm » |
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Thanks for your suggestions rbarreira, I have made some relatively complicated programs like the simulation of a chemical reactor but a bot is completely different stuff.
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starjots
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Re: A big project
« Reply #7 on: Mar 31st, 2010, 1:36pm » |
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on Mar 12th, 2010, 11:35pm, Eltripas wrote:| Hello bot developers, I'm planning to do an arimaa bot but I have a big problem, I just know very basic C++ programming, so I'm asking for good understandable sources of information for making a bot and on programming in general, if you think is better I learn a new language please tell me that also, Janzert already told me to read a wiki about chess bots, but I fell that I need also more information for programming in general, thank you in advance. |
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I am in a boat that is similar to yours.
Here's an idea out of left field for rapid prototyping a program - Netlogo. This is a cellular programming language with a structure that I think will make writing a working program relatively easy.
The catch is it is Java-based and may be slow (its really not that bad - I've done some pretty calculation intensive stuff in it - just turn off the graphics while it is 'thinking'). If you get a good program, you may need to rewrite in C++ (and that will include some of what Netlogo is doing for you) to optimize speed.
Personally, I love this language. It is different, however.
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| « Last Edit: Mar 31st, 2010, 1:37pm by starjots » |
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